Lucy Veal goes Beyond the Dental Lab with Craig Mark Broughton to find out who inspires him, what led him to the profession he adores, and the last picture he took on his phone – it’s very cute.
Please introduce yourself and where you work
I’m Craig Mark Broughton and I am a clinical dental technician and the director of CMB Dental Laboratory Ltd based in Redcar, with a clinic from Church Street Dental Practice in Guisborough.
Tell me about where you grew up and what your family was like
I grew up in a little village in the North East called Brotton with my mum, dad and sister.
I learnt from an early age about work ethics and was brought up in a way that taught me if I wanted something, I needed to work for it.
What led you to a career in dentistry?
Strange old story really.
Since I left school and attended college studying art and design, I have had a variety of different jobs from working. These have included working in a supermarket, working alongside a stone mason, heath care assistant and student nurse.
A year into my nurse training I realised something wasn’t clicking. I was excelling at the practical side, but I was struggling with some of the written elements.
As a result, I made the decision to step off the course and take a year to get my head together before I went back into it again. I asked a friend of mine who worked in a dental laboratory if there were any jobs going. Luckily there was!
I started in a very busy plaster room in an understaffed lab. And I loved it!
I progressed through the lab very quickly and, although the idea was to go back to nursing, when I was offered the chance to enrol onto the FdSc dental technology course at Cardiff Metropolitan University, I jumped at the opportunity.
To combine my artistic side with a love of anatomy seemed like the perfect job.
What do you like the most about it?
Everything.
Working directly with patients to transform their smiles, their confidence and, ultimately, their health is an immensely satisfying part of the job.
Dental technology is an extremely exciting field to be in at the moment with the advances in technology. I feel lucky to be a part of it.
Who/what have been the strongest influences in your life?
There have been many people that have been influential throughout my life in so many different ways:
Mum and dad instilling the ‘work for it’ attitude.
My grandad worked 12 hour shifts and came home for a nap, then went back out working a second job. He worked until he was forced to retire. That alone taught me about work ethic.
My gran always had my back and encouraged me to follow my dreams.
Sam, my better half, has been there through everything. She’s my cheerleader when things are going well as well as someone to drag me back up when they aren’t. I’m probably her biggest headache.
My son – the reason I work hard. So we can play hard!
David Lambert, my old boss. I learnt everything from him. Not only in regards to the profession, but how to run a dental laboratory, manage staff, work load, maintain standards etc.
And at the same time, he taught me what not to do. He had extremely high standards and this is something I try to develop on a daily basis.
Many of my dental clients have also been strong influences in my life.
Chris Sherwin has taught me about business and gave me the push to go it alone: ‘It’s never the “right time”, just do it’.
Richard Coates has a wealth of information and can never give you enough of his time to help you grow.
Sarah Wood has pushed me down pathways I hadn’t thought possible in less than five years. She has incredibly infectious enthusiasm.
How would friends and acquaintances describe you?
Hard working, family man, ambitious, determined, reflective.
Share with us something about yourself that you want to improve
I am always striving for personal and professional growth, whether I’m trying new products, techniques, procedures etc to improve my work.
I also enjoy reading books to improve my knowledge, thinking of new and exciting things we can do as a family or improving my fitness so I can be physically and mentally healthier.
The biggest aspect that I need to improve on is the ability to look back on my achievements instead of constantly looking for the next mountain to climb.
How do you unwind outside of the lab?
Cycling, family time, walking (dogs in tow), gym, drums, guitar.
Where’s your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere in the Lake District.
What’s your favourite film?
Return of the Jedi.
What music do you listen to?
All sorts.
Anything from classical to hip hop. Being a bit of a musician, I tend to dabble in all sorts of genres, though at heart I’d always come back to punk.
What was the last picture you took on your phone?
My dog, Blue.
Sum yourself up in three words
Competitive, driven, ambitious.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I very much adore this profession.
The ability to set your creativity free and make a difference to people’s lives is something I’m hugely passionate about.
If I can inspire someone to enter the profession, or even to inspire a technician to try something new, I would be a happy man.
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